1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a device and method for taking a still picture and recording a moving picture using a camera, and in particular, to a device and method for taking a still picture while recording a moving picture.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, owing to remarkable developments of telecommunication technology, and a camera module and multimedia technology, even a wireless telephone can provide a mega pixel based high-resolution picture beyond a size of quarter common intermediate format (QCIF) (176×144) or CIF (352×288). Further, owing to use of a picture compress technique such as Joint Photographic Experts Group (JPEG), there is minimal difficulty even in storage and transmission. Furthermore, a moving picture compress technique such as Moving Picture Experts Group-4 (MPEG-4) and H.26X is applied to the wireless telephone, thereby embodying a camcording function. At present, a moving picture having a size of about quarter video graphics array (QVGA) (320×240) can be recorded.
A camera employs a picture-taking method in which, after a user views a picture through a monitor or a viewfinder while adapting a composition or a focus, the user presses a picture-taking key (e.g. a shutter button), takes a picture, and captures a still picture, and then, upon selection to store the captured picture, compresses the captured picture in a predefined picture compression technique (e.g. JPEG) and stores the compressed captured picture. At this time, a size (e.g. CIF, QCIF, VGA, and XVGA) and a quality (e.g. high and low qualities) are previously set.
A moving picture is recorded a few pictures per second, therefore, it is recorded on the basis of QVGA or QCIF considering a problem of capacity or transmission as well as a problem of performance. Further, a method is employed in which the picture size and quality is previously set, and the captured pictures are compressed using the moving picture compression technique such as the MPEG and then, are stored.
FIG. 1 illustrates a construction and an operation for taking a still picture utilizing a conventional moving picture recording/picture-taking device.
It is assumed that one sheet of picture (PIC 1) is taken. If a user presses a picture-taking key on a keypad 50, a camera controller 100 controls a camera 150 to take the still picture. The camera controller 100 decides a property of camera picture captured by a camera picture capturing unit 300. The still picture captured by the camera picture capturing unit 300 is stored in a memory 400.
FIG. 2 illustrates a construction and an operation for recording a moving picture in the conventional moving picture recording/picture-taking device.
If the user presses a record key of the keypad 50, the camera controller 100 controls the camera 150 to record the moving picture. A moving picture recorder 200 continuously compresses the still pictures received through a lens of the camera 150, into the moving picture sheet by sheet, and records the compressed moving picture.
In FIGS. 1 and 2, the moving picture recording/picture-taking device includes the keypad 50, the camera controller 100, the camera 150, the moving picture recorder 200, the camera picture capturing unit 300, the memory 400, and an image signal processor (ISP) 500. However, as in FIG. 1, when taking the still picture only the keypad 50, the camera controller 100, the camera 150, the camera picture capturing unit 300, and the memory 400 are used. Further, as in FIG. 2, when recording the moving picture only the keypad 50, the camera controller 100, the camera 150, and the moving picture recorder 200 are used.
Although the moving picture recording/picture-taking device includes all elements for recording the moving picture and elements for taking the still picture, it performs only a sole function of moving picture recording function and still picture taking function respectively, and does not mutually exchange the functions. In cases where the user desires to take a large still picture with a high quality while still recording the moving picture, the user completes recording, then converts to a picture-taking mode, sets the picture size and quality, and takes one sheet of picture. In order to start again to record the moving picture, the user converts to back a moving picture recording mode, as well as set the picture size and quality. However, during the above operations, time lapses, and consequently, a photography subject may not be already in an original figure for which the user desires to take a still picture.